Plug-in key counter

ABSTRACT

A plug-in key counter according to the present invention is composed of a plug-in unit and its receiving unit which is provided in an apparatus. The plug-in unit provides a counter means and a conducting means, or, at times, only the counter means. In the latter case, the conducting means is included in the receiving unit and is controlled by the insertion of the plug-in unit. With a result of this, a very cheap and simplified plug-in key counter can be obtained.

United States Patent [191 Tano [ PLUG-IN KEY COUNTER [75] Inventor: Takeo Tano, Tokyo, Japan [73] Assignee: Iwatsu Electric Co., Ltd., Tokyo,

Japan [22] Filed: March 19, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 126,132

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 1 March 6, 1973 3,588,476 6/1971 La Pointe ..235/91 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant ExaminerStanley A. Wal Attorney-Maleson, Kimmelman & Ratner [57] ABSTRACT A plug-in key counter according to the present invention is composed of a plug-in unit and its receiving unit which is provided in an apparatus. The plug-in unit provides a counter means and a conducting means, or, at times, only the counter means. In the latter case, the conducting means is included in the receiving unit and is controlled by the insertion of the plug-in unit. With a result of this, a very cheap and simplified plug-in key counter can be obtained.

6 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures 10/1960 Australia ..235/92 C PLUG-IN KEY COUNTER The present invention relates to a plug-in key counter, mainly used for administering a number of use times of many kinds of apparatus.

Conventionally, this type of plug-in key counter was composed of a plug-in unit and a receiving unit. The plug-in unit includes a non-reset type electro-magnetic counter, two diodes having a center tap which are used to drive an external relay. The receiving unit includes a group of counter receiving terminals and diode receiving terminals. That is, the above-mentioned plug-in unit is inserted in the above-mentioned receiving unit.

When the apparatus fixing the receiving unit was used in various sections, it recorded in each section the number of use times of apparatus which were driven electrically by the insertion of the plug-in unit.

When the plug-in unit is inserted into the receiving unit, which is fixed to the apparatus, a current flows to the relay passing through the diodes, the relay becomes an on state for driving the apparatus and then the apparatus is put in a stand-by condition. Then, the starting switch is commutated to its on condition and thereby, the apparatus is operated and one pulse is applied with every one operation to the electro-magnetic counter and the number of use times is recorded in the above-mentioned plug-in key counter. However, conventional plug-in key counters have required centertapped diodes which are provided in the plug-in key counter, and additionally it is not economical, it is too complex an apparatus and the job of installing the diodes is too costly, time-consuming and difficult.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned drawback.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a plug-in key counter which is simplified in its operation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a low-priced plug-in key counter.

Further, features and advantage of the present invention will be apparent from the ensuing description with reference to the accompanying drawing to which, however, the scope of the invention is in no way limited.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show a connection diagram of the plug-in unit of the plug-in key counter of the present invention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B and FIGS. 3A and 3B are outside views of the plug-in unit and the receiving unit of the plug-in key counter of the present invention;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are embodiments of a connection diagram of the apparatus using the plug-in key counter of the present invention, and

FIGS. 6A and 6B are outside views of the plug-in units wherein the mechanical counters is utilized.

Referring to FIG. 1A, a connection of the plug-in unit is composed of an electro-magnetic counter coil 1 which is connected between its external terminals A and B and a conductor 2 which conducts between its external terminals C and D. The plug-in unit shown in FIG. 1B is provided with only an electro-magnetic counter coil 1 which is connected between its external terminals.

FIG. 2A shows the outside view of the plug-in unit shown in FIG. 1A. The plug-in unit shown in FIG. 2A is composed of a counter indicator part 3, plug-in body 4 and external terminals A, B, C and D. The receiving unit is composed of, as shown in FIG. 28, a receiving portion 5 to which the plug-in unit is fixed, and receiving terminals A, B, C and D which are coupled to the terminals A, B, C and D, respectively, when the plug-in unit is inserted into the receiving unit. Further, by considering the direction or the position of the terminals or the form of the plug-in unit and the receiving unit, the terminals A, B, C and D can only be connected to the corresponding receiving terminals A, B, C and D, respectively.

FIG. 3A shows the outside view of the plug-in unit shown in FIG. 1B. The plug-in unit shown in FIG. 3A provides only terminals A and B, and as shown in FIG. 3B, the terminal contact points C and D provided in the receiving unit are closed by a micro-switch 6 when the plug-in unit is inserted into the receiving portion 5 of the receiving unit.

One example of the circuit diagram which is peripherally provided on the receiving unit of the apparatus, is shown in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 4, the receiving terminals C and D are connected in series with a relay coil 7, and the series circuit of the abovementioned receiving terminals and the relay coil is connected in parallel to an electric source circuit which is provided with a power switch 8 and a fuse piece 9. One terminal of a relay contact 7 is connected to a junction between the fuse piece 9 and the receiving terminal C, and the other terminal of the relay contact 7' is connected to a driving circuit 10 whose other terminal is connected to a junction between the relay coil 7 and the power switch 8. The receiving terminals A and B, which are provided for the electromagnetic counter, are connected for coupling to the driving circuit 10.

In the above-mentioned circuit, the relay contact 7 is controlled by a current passing through the relay coil 7. When the plug-in unit is not inserted into the receiving portion 5, no current flows through the relay coil 7 even if the power switch 8 is closed. Then, the relay contact 7 remains in its open condition and no effect is produced to the driving circuit 10. When the plug-in unit is inserted into the receiving portion 5, the terminals C and D are short-circuited by the conductor 2 in the internal part of the plug-in unit and the current flows passing through the relay coil 7 thereby the relay contact 7' closes and the driving circuit 10 is put in its stand-by condition (not shown in FIG. 4). In the abovementioned condition, when a start switch (not shown in FIG. 4) commutates to its ON state, the driving circuit 10 becomes an operative condition and one pulse is applied to the electro-magnetic counter coil 1 via the terminals A and B and thus, the electro-magnetic counter is driven. In this case, the electro-magnetic counter is designed to be a general non-reset type, thereby the amount of use time is accumulated.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the peripheral circuit diagram of the receiving unit. Referring to FIG. 5, a start switch 11 and a stop switch 12 are connected in parallel, and one terminal of the above-mentioned parallel circuit is connected to the relay contact 7 whose other terminal is connected to the junction between the receiving terminal C and the fuse piece 9. The other terminal of the above-mentioned parallel circuit is connected via a drive motor 13 to the junction between the relay coil 7 and the power switch 8. The other part of the circuit diagram shown in FIG. 5 is the same as described in FIG. 4.

In the above-mentioned circuit, when the plug-in unit is inserted into the receiving unit, the current flows through the relay coil 7 in a similar manner as shown in FIG. 4, and thereby the relay contact 7' is actuated to an ON state. Then, the apparatus can be operated by pressing the start switch 111. When the operation of the apparatus is finished, the stop switch 12 is actuated to an off state by means of a cam (not shown in FIG. etc.

The above-mentioned explanation is applied to the case wherein the electro-magnetic counter is utilized. However, the explanation is also applicable to the case wherein the the electro-magnetic counter is utilized. However, the explanation is also applicable to the case wherein the mechanical counter 14 is utilized, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. In the receiving unit, it is carried out by using a pin 15 or a gear wheel 16 instead of the terminals A and B as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. In the above-mentioned case, the pin 15, shown in FIG. 6A, carries out a one time up and down motion or an arc motion, and the gear wheel 16, shown in FIG. 6B carries out the constant revolution for one drive of the apparatus. Further, the mechanical counter I4 is provided in the plug-in unit and this mechanical counter 14 is driven by the one-drive motion of the above-mentioned pin 15 or gear wheel 16.

As mentioned in the above explanation, according to the present invention, the diodes, which are included in the conventional plug-in unit, can be omitted, and a simplified and cheap plug-in counter can be provided.

What is claimed is:

l. A plug-in key counter for use with apparatus having a power line with a relay and including driving means comprising a plug-in unit including counter means connected to two external terminals and conducting means connected to two other external terminals, a receiving unit being provided with the apparatus and being connectable to said plug-in unit when said plug-in unit is inserted into said receiving unit, said conducting means connecting said power line of said apparatus to said relay so as to switch the driving means included in said apparatus to the operating condition, and said counter means counting one pulse from said driving means via said receiving unit.

2. A plug-in key counter according to claim 1, wherein said receiving unit includes four receiving terminals respectively connectable to said two external terminals and to said two other external terminals of said plug-in unit.

3. A plug-in key counter according to claim I, wherein said counter means is composed of a mechanical counter, said receiving unit includes a mechanical driving means for driving said counter means and two receiving terminals connectable to said two other external terminals.

4. A plug-in key counter for use with apparatus having a power line with a relay and including driving means comprising a plug-in unit including counter means connected to two external terminals, a receiving unit being provided with the apparatus being connectable to said plug-in unit and conducting means for conducting two terminals, said conducting means being connected when said plug-in unit is inserted into said receiving unit, said conducting means connecting said powerline of said apparatus to said relay so as .to switch he dI'lVIl'Ig means included in said apparatus to the operating condition, and said counter means counting one pulse from said driving means via said receiving unit.

5. A plug-in key counter according to claim 4, wherein said receiving unit includes two receiving terminals connectable to said two external terminals.

6. A plug-in key counter according to claim 4, wherein said counter means is composed of a mechanical counter, said receiving unit includes a mechanical driving means for driving said counter means. 

1. A plug-in key counter for use with apparatus having a power line with a relay and including driving means comprising a plug-in unit including counter means connected to two external terminals and conducting means connected to two other external terminals, a receiving unit being provided with the apparatus and being connectable to said plug-in unit when said plug-in unit is inserted into said receiving unit, said conducting means connecting said power line of said apparatus to said relay so as to switch the driving means included in said apparatus to the operating condition, and said counter means counting one pulse from said driving means via said receiving unit.
 1. A plug-in key counter for use with apparatus having a power line with a relay and including driving means comprising a plugin unit including counter means connected to two external terminals and conducting means connected to two other external terminals, a receiving unit being provided with the apparatus and being connectable to said plug-in unit when said plug-in unit is inserted into said receiving unit, said conducting means connecting said power line of said apparatus to said relay so as to switch the driving means included in said apparatus to the operating condition, and said counter means counting one pulse from said driving means via said receiving unit.
 2. A plug-in key counter according to claim 1, wherein said receiving unit includes four receiving terminals respectively connectable to said two external terminals and to said two other external terminals of said plug-in unit.
 3. A plug-in key counter according to claim 1, wherein said counter means is composed of a mechanical counter, said receiving unit includes a mechanical driving means for driving said counter means and two receiving terminals connectable to said two other external terminals.
 4. A plug-in key counter for use with apparatus having a power line with a relay and including driving means comprising a plug-in unit including counter means connected to two external terminals, a receiving unit being provided with the apparatus being connectable to said plug-in unit and conducting means for conducting two terminals, said conducting means being connected when said plug-in unit is inserted into said receiving unit, said conducting means connecting said power line of said apparatus to said relay so as to switch the driving means included in said apparatus to the operating condition, and said counter means counting one pulse from said driving means via said receiving unit.
 5. A plug-in key counter according to claim 4, wherein said receiving unit includes two receiving terminals connectable to said two external terminals. 